Cade Cunningham candid on last-place Pistons: ‘We’re bad’

Cade Cunningham delivered a candid assessment of the struggling Detroit Pistons, who are currently enduring an 11-game losing streak.

“We need to face the reality of our situation,” Cunningham stated following Detroit’s 142-113 defeat to the Toronto Raptors. “We can’t just try to convince ourselves that everything is fine when we’re clearly not performing well. It’s time to confront that truth.”

The Pistons, with a disappointing 2-12 record, sit at the bottom of the NBA standings and are grappling with their third double-digit losing streak since last season. Their most recent triumph was against the Chicago Bulls on Oct. 28.

“I believe some of our players are struggling to adjust to the competitiveness of the league,” said Pistons’ first-year coach Monty Williams. “When faced with that challenge, the one thing you can control is your level of competition. Unfortunately, I didn’t see that from everyone on the team tonight.”

On Sunday, Cunningham scored 18 points, emerging as the sole Detroit starter to notch over 10 points. The 2021 No. 1 draft pick expressed his discontent with Williams having to question the team’s competitive spirit.

“As the youngest team in the league, we’re fighting tooth and nail for every opportunity,” Cunningham conveyed to reporters, as reported by The Athletic. “There should be no question or discussion about our level of competition. That should be a given.

“When we wake up in the morning, it should be ingrained in us to get to the court. [Williams] shouldn’t even have to ask. That’s something [Isaiah Stewart] and I are striving to emphasize. Everyone needs to bring their A-game.”

The road ahead looks daunting for the Pistons, with nine of their next 10 opponents boasting winning records. Their challenging stretch kicks off with a home game against the reigning NBA champions, the Denver Nuggets, on Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.